Continued Increase in Executions in Iran; Four Drug Offenders Executed in Karaj

In the ongoing rise of executions in Iran, four individuals accused of drug-related crimes were executed on Tuesday, December 5, in the central prison of Karaj. According to HRANA, the news agency of human rights activists in Iran, the identities of three of the executed individuals have been reported as Sasan Maleki, Mojtaba Amiri, and Manouchehr Noorabad (Barzegar). The Iran Human Rights Organization also recently reported the execution of five prisoners linked to drug charges in Birjand prison, stating that four of the executed were Baluch citizens. Human rights activists have expressed concern over the increase in executions related to drug offenses, which had previously decreased due to a series of reforms in Iran's criminal law. Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, announced that the number of executions in Iran in the first seven months of this year reached 419, with more than half of those executed being charged with drug offenses. Guterres added in a report on the human rights situation in Iran that this number represents a 98% increase compared to the same period last year. The UN Human Rights Office has also identified Iran as one of the countries with the highest number of death penalties, particularly concerning drug-related charges. The increase in executions in Iran has faced criticism from human rights organizations, the United Nations, and various countries. The European Union, in a statement on Friday, December 1, described the current pace of executions in Iran—at least 600 since the beginning of this year—as 'horrific' and called for an end to this 'cruel and inhumane' punishment. The UN Human Rights Office has also urged the Iranian government to halt the death penalty and to apply it only for the most serious crimes that 'intentionally and directly lead to death.' The continuation of executions in Iran, despite international criticism, has been discussed in interviews with Shiva Mohabbi. International labor organizations have reported that the Iranian regime has intensified repression under the shadow of the Gaza war. Hengaw reported that at least 122 prisoners were executed in Iranian prisons last month. The European Union has stated that the speed of executions in Iran is 'horrific.'